Danza Macabra Volume Four: The Italian Gothic Collection - Severin Films (UHD/Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1965 (Terror-Creatures from the Grave), Italy, 1971 (Night of the Damned), Italy, 1973 (The Devil's Wedding Night, Baba Yaga)
Directors: Massimo Pupillo (Terror-Creatures from the Grave), Filippo Walter Ratti (Night of the Damned), Luigi Batzella (The Devil's Wedding Night), Joe D'Amato (The Devil's Wedding Night), Corrado Farina (Baba Yaga)
Cast: Walter Brandi, Mirella Maravidi, Barbara Steele, Alfredo Rizzo, Riccardo Garrone, Luciano Pigozzi, Tilde Till, Ennio Balbo (Terror-Creatures from the Grave), Pierre Brice, Patrizia Viotti, Angela De Leo, Mario Carra (Night of the Damned), Mark Damon, Rosalba Neri, Esmeralda Barros, Francesca Romana Davila, Ciro Papa (The Devil's Wedding Night), Carroll Baker, Isabelle De Funès, George Eastman, Ely Galleani, Daniela Balzaretti, Mario Mattia Giorgetti, Sergio Masieri, Angela Covello (Baba Yaga)

Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 90 Minutes 16 Seconds (Terror-Creatures from the Grave - Italian Version), 83 Minutes 55 Seconds (Terror-Creatures from the Grave - U.S. Version), 100 Minutes 16 Seconds (Night of the Damned), 84 Minutes 2 Seconds (The Devil's Wedding Night), 82 Minutes 25 Seconds (Baba Yaga)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (All Films), DTS-HD Mono English (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films), English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $179.95

Terror-Creatures from the Grave: "Deep within the cursed villa of a dead spiritualist, the legacy of the Black Plague will unleash a torrent of madness, murder and the vengeance of the undead.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Night of the Damned: "When a mystery-solving journalist (Pierre Brice of Mill of the Stone Women) and his wife (Patrizia Viotti of Amuck!) are summoned to the creepy castle of a dying friend, they’ll find themselves trapped in a nightmare of ancestral curses, modern witchcraft and demonic sapphic carnage, much of which proved too extreme even for Italian censors.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

The Devil's Wedding Night: "When an 18th century scholar (Damon) discovers the location of a mythical ring, he and his rogue twin (also Damon) race to Dracula’s castle where they are seduced by a depraved Countess (Neri). But who will survive her ultimate ceremony of the damned?” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Baba Yaga: "Academy Award® nominee Carroll Baker (Baby Doll, Orgazmo) stars as the titular witch who seduces a swinging photographer (French model/singer Isabelle De Funès) into a maelstrom of sexual obsession, pop art perversity and some of the most uniquely unnerving images in the entire genre.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 5/5 (Terror-Creatures from the Grave - Italian Version 4K UHD, Baba Yaga 4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Terror-Creatures from the Grave - U.S. Version 4K UHD), Terror-Creatures from the Grave - Both Versions Blu-ray, Baba Yaga Blu-ray, Night of the Damned 4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Night of the Damned Blu-ray, The Devil's Wedding Night 4K UHD), 4/5 (The Devil's Wedding Night Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

Terror-Creatures from the Grave comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 92 GB

Feature: 47.5 GB (Italian Language Version), 42.7 GB (English Language Version)

Terror-Creatures from the Grave comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 24.2 GB (Italian Language Version), 21 GB (English Language Version)

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Night of the Damned comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.1 GB

Feature: 59.6 GB

Night of the Damned comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.8 GB

Feature: 29.6 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Here is additional information about The Devil's Wedding Night's source, “This new restoration is from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative and 35mm interpositive. Unfortunately, both elements were chemically unstable and suffered from advanced deterioration. Despite exhaustive corrective efforts, we were unable to address all of the damage.

We hope these occasional instances do not detract from your viewing experience.”

The Devil's Wedding Night comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.2 GB

Feature: 59.9 GB

The Devil's Wedding Night comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.2 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Baba Yaga comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.8 GB

Feature: 59.5 GB

Baba Yaga comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.9 GB

Feature: 24.4 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

The source for The Devil's Wedding Night has some noticeable damage, and the disclaimer before the film gives a clear idea of what to expect. When it comes to the other three films, any debris that remains is always very minor. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, and compression are solid; black levels are strong, and all of the transfers always look organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Films - DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4.25/5 (Night of the Damned - DTS-HD Mono English, Baba Yaga - DTS-HD Mono English), 4/5 (Terror-Creatures from the Grave - DTS-HD Mono English, The Devil's Wedding Night - DTS-HD Mono English)

Each film comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All audio tracks sound clear and balanced, and their scores and ambient sounds are well represented. That said, dialogue sounds more robust on the Italian language tracks, and there is some minor background hiss on the Terror-Creatures from the Grave and The Devil's Wedding Night English language tracks. Each film comes with removable English subtitles for the Italian language tracks and removable English SDH on the English language tracks. Terror-Creatures from the Grave has a second removable English subtitle track for Italian-only moments while watching the English language track, and Baba Yaga has a second removable English subtitle track for Italian while watching the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the Terror-Creatures from the Grave 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with Rod Barnett of NaschyCast and The Bloody Pit and Dr. Adrian Smith, co-author of Norman J. Warren: Gentleman of Terror.

Extras on the Terror-Creatures from the Grave Blu-ray disc include an audio commentary with Rod Barnett and Dr. Adrian Smith.

Terror-Creatures from the Grave comes with a second Blu-ray disc. Extras on this disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an English-language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette with film critic Alan Jones on Vampix titled The Original Boutique Video Label (9 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by Matt Rogerson, author of The Vatican Versus Horror Movies, titled Grave Influence (14 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette with director Massimo Pupillo, actor Riccardo Garrone, and film historian Fabio Melelli titled Grave Secrets (26 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and a selected scene audio commentary with actress Barbara Steele and Barbara Steele archivist Russ Lanier (26 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Night of the Damned 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn, film historians/co-hosts of NaschyCast.

Extras on the Night of the Damned Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Satanic Orgy Outtakes (14 minutes 18 seconds, no sound), a video essay by Matt Rogerson titled The Desired and The Damned (18 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with film historian Fabio Melelli titled In the Castle of Saint Lambert (16 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Extras on The Devil's Wedding Night 4K UHD disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an English-language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Martyn Conterio, author of Black Sunday, and Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness.

Extras on The Devil's Wedding Night Blu-ray disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an English-language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with producer Franco Gaudenzi titled The Wedding Tale (12 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Aristide Massaccesi aka Joe D'Amato, titled The Wedding Guest (4 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Rosalba Neri titled Countess Rosalba (12 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a vdeo essay by Dr. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of 1000 Women in Horror, 1895-2018 titled An Open Letter To Rosalba Neri's Tits (11 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Martyn Conterio, and Kat Ellinger.

Extras on the Baba Yaga 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Emma Westwood, editor of Bride of Frankenstein, and film scholar Sally Christie.

Extras on the Baba Yaga Blu-ray disc one include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with editor/co-screenwriter Giulio Berruti titled A Filmmaking Friendship (23 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Luigi Montefiori titled The Milan Witch Project (10 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic Alberto Farina, son of Corrado Farina, titled Valentina, Baba Yaga, and Dad (44 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Corrado Farina titled Farina and Valentina (21 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Emma Westwood, and film scholar Sally Christie.

Extras on the Baba Yaga Blu-ray disc two include a photo gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a text-based extra with images titled Comic Book Comparisons, alternate/extended scenes (9 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a Short Village Magazine interview with Corrado Farina and Alberto Farina (31 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Dr. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled The Gaze Bewitched (13 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and three short films directed by Corrado Farina: It Was Called Earth (17 minutes 18 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), Science Fiction Is Us (13 minutes 28 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), and Freud in Color (12 minutes 12 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles).

It Was Called Earth: An astronaut is forced to make a quick landing when his navigation goes out. He lands on Earth, the nearest planet, and when he ventures outside his ship, he discovers that it is a dead planet that has brought about its own demise.

Science Fiction Is Us: A documentary about sci-fi literature and cinema and how they compare to reality.

Freud in Color: A documentary about Italian comic book artist Guido Crepax, whose series Valentina was adapted into Baba Yaga.

A 20-track CD with music composed by Piero Umiliani (Baba Yaga—2 tracks, Man on the Spying Trapeze—6 tracks, Operation Poker—6 tracks, and Il Marchio Di Kriminal—6 tracks) and a cardboard insert with a track listing.

Summary:

Terror-Creatures from the Grave: A lawyer visits the estate of a man who sent him a letter, only to discover that he had died a year before. Shortly after his arrival, it is clear that something is not right, and the more he looks into the dead man's past, the more dangerous things become.

Terror-Creatures from the Grave is the first of a trio of horror films that Massimo Pupillo directed in a short time span. The other two films are Bloody Pit of Terror and Lady Morgan's Vengeance, and the thing that connects all three of them is gothic horror. Although he directed a few other films, the only one of note is the spaghetti western Django Kills Softly.

For most viewers, we have only experienced the U.S. version, which is 6 minutes shorter than the Italian version of the film. The main differences are an opening sequence where the lawyer receives a letter that sets everything in motion and a lengthy version of a scene where an old man in a wheelchair hangs himself. Although these two moments might not offer a lot in expanding, their inclusion and watching the film in Italian is like seeing it for the first time.

Italian genre cinema always worked with small margins, and though many films struggled due to this limitation, there were those who somehow succeeded and are now held in high regard. That said, gothic horror was a genre that actually lent itself well to microbudget films. This genre typically features narratives that take place in a single location, often a castle, and most gothic horror films were shot in black and white, which greatly benefited their ability to create atmospheric and arresting moments. Case in point, a film like Terror-Creatures from the Grave checks all of the right boxes.

There are few names more renowned in Italian horror than Barbara Steele, who appeared in these films: Black Sunday, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, The Ghost, Castle of Blood, The Long Hair of Death, Nightmare Castle, and An Angel for Satan. In Terror-Creatures from the Grave, she is cast in the role of Cleo Hauff, the wife of the man who died a year before. Although her character plays a crucial role in uncovering the central mystery, her screentime is more limited compared to her other Italian horror films. Nevertheless, the scene of her character talking in a bubble bath stands out as the most memorable moment.

Despite Massimo Pupillo's dislike of horror cinema, looking back on his three films, in particular Terror-Creatures from the Grave, his choices as director are often inspired, and they greatly enhance the mood. The way in which the narrative parcels out information keeps you guessing where things are going, and it is very effective at building momentum to a finale where revenge is served via walking dead infested with the Black Plague. Ultimately, Terror-Creatures from the Grave is a well-crafted gothic horror film that hopefully will get reevaluated now that its Italian version has been given an English-friendly release.

Night of the Damned: A sick nobleman reaches out to a childhood friend who's a journalist. When his friend arrives, he slowly uncovers the root cause of his friend's illness. Is he too late, or will they be able to save him?

Night of the Damned was directed by Filippo Walter Ratti, whose other notable films are Ten Italians for One German, Mondo Erotico, Crazy Desires of a Murderer, and Erika. Night of the Damned was shot back-to-back with Erika, both films utilizing the same location and principal cast. That said, Night of the Damned is a film that is not without its shortcomings, and it is often hurt by its lack of resources.

A strong setup is crucial to holding one's attention, and even if it's a solid premise, poor execution is equally devastating. Although Night of the Damned has a premise that is full of possibilities, its narrative's lethargic pacing and lack of genuine surprises ensure there is never any momentum. Another weakness of the narrative is its overreliance on erotic moments that do nothing to further or enhance the story unfolding.

Not surprisingly, the performances are generally lackluster, especially Pierre Brice’s (Mill of the Stone Women) one-note performance of the journalist friend who uncovers a cult led by a witch who maintains her youth by feeding off members of a noble family. That said, the female cast provides plenty of eye candy, especially Patrizia Viotti (Death Falls Lightly) in the role of the journalist's wife and Angela De Leo in the role of the witch.

Despite its occult-themed premise, Night of the Damned struggles to create any atmosphere. The visuals are uninspired, and the score is mostly comprised of music cues recycled from Carlo Savina’s Malenka (Fangs of the Living Dead). As mentioned before, the narrative never finds its footing, and its tongue-in-cheek climax feels out of place with the tone of the rest of the film. Ultimately, Night of the Damned is an exploitation film masquerading as a horror film whose negatives far outweigh its positives.

The Devil's Wedding Night: Although Paul Solvay is credited as The Devil's Wedding Night's director, this film was actually co-directed by Luigi Batzella (Nude for Satan) and Joe D'Amato (Death Smiles on a Murderer). The latter was also The Devil's Wedding Night’s cinematographer.

A countess employs Dracula’s ring to attract beautiful women to her castle, where she drains their blood and bathes in it.

Content-wise, The Devil's Wedding Night can be likened to Dracula, featuring a female vampire in the titular role. The narrative exhibits numerous striking similarities to that of Dracula, and several characters reflect those from the original story. While the influence of Dracula is evident in The Devil's Wedding Night, the outcome diverges significantly from its source material. This film serves as a quintessential example of 1970s exploitation cinema, often crossing into the realm of soft-core erotica..

From a production standpoint, The Devil's Wedding Night bears all the markings of low-budget Euro-cult cinema. The premise brings nothing new to the table, and a slow-moving narrative does not do this film any favors. Another area where The Devil's Wedding Night comes up short is its odd score, which features a few music cues that feel out of place.

That said, Rosalba Neri (The Girl in Room 2A) in the role of La Contessa Dolingen de Vries is The Devil's Wedding Night’s only saving grace. Her character spends an ample amount of time undressed, and in one scene she’s covered in blood. Ultimately, The Devil's Wedding Night is a film where the poster art oversells it.

Baba Yaga: A fashion photographer becomes the object of the desire of a sorceress, who casts a spell on her.

Baba Yaga was directed by Corrado Farina, who would only direct one other feature film, They Have Changed Their Face.

Baba Yaga was adapted from an adult line of comics that revolved around a character named Valentina, created by Guido Crepax, whose comics were known for ample amounts of eroticism, dreamlike narratives, and evocative imagery. Although the majority of film adaptations of comic books fail to capture the essence of the source material, Baba Yaga is about as faithful as any film could ever hope to be to the source from which it was adapted.

Narrative-wise, things are actually a lot more straightforward than they appear to be at first. What unfolds is basically a story about a young woman who is seduced by a witch, and there is never a shortage of flesh on parade. It should be noted that this version, included as part of Blue Underground’s release, is missing two key moments of nudity involving its two leading ladies (these moments have been included with the deleted scenes).

When it comes to performances, this is one area where Baba Yaga could be stronger. Reportedly, Corrado Farina has two other actresses in mind: Elsa Martinelli (One on Top of the Other) for the role of Valentina and Anne Heywood (The Lady of Monza) for the role of Baba Yaga. Instead we get Isabelle De Funès in the role of Valentina and Carroll Baker (Paranoia) in the role of Baba Yaga; their performances work well enough with the story that unfolds, despite not being as commanding as they could have been.

In a film in which things often dive deep into the surreal end of the pool, it should not come as a surprise that Baba Yaga’s most potent asset is its atmospheric visuals. Another area in which Baba Yaga often excels is its brisk editing style, which perfectly captures the feel of a comic book narrative. Ultimately, Baba Yaga is a solid example of a live comic book adaptation that walks a fine line between exploitation and arthouse cinema.

With Danza Macabra Volume Four, Severin Films puts together their strongest collection of films and gives them their best audio/video presentations to date and a wealth of informative extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer